


They Were All Blond, Narcissa!

by PotionDaddy



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: BAMF Narcissa Black Malfoy, Babysitting, Child Draco Malfoy, Fluff, Narcissa is Queen Bean, POV Severus Snape, Severus Snape hates children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-13 08:14:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28775142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PotionDaddy/pseuds/PotionDaddy
Summary: Severus Snape has to take Draco to the playground - what could possibly go wrong?
Relationships: Draco Malfoy & Severus Snape, Narcissa Black Malfoy & Severus Snape
Comments: 17
Kudos: 83





	They Were All Blond, Narcissa!

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Mine To Protect](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26662969) by [Zaharya](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zaharya/pseuds/Zaharya). 



> Hi! This is the first thing I've ever written. Am scared :')

Severus Snape was used to the occasional mess; his robes and his hands were stained by some kind of substance more often than not. Even entire potion explosions that left him in disarray in the best case and rushing to the hospital wing in the worst case were nothing unusal, although he himself was seldom responsible for those— _bloody dunderheads_. What Severus Snape was _not_ used to, however, was mud and sand all over his neatly buttoned-up robes; a condition that was wholly caused by two-year-old Draco Malfoy. 

Why he had agreed to take his godson to the playground and supervise him while the child rolled in the dirt and brewed mud potions was beyond him. Merlin, Severus didn’t even want to know _what exactly_ was in those potions—and that meant something coming from a man who dealt with all sorts of disgusting potions ingredients on a daily basis. 

He loved Draco, he really did. Draco was a clever child. Outgoing, quick-witted and incredibly stubborn, the boy knew exactly how to get what he wanted. Severus vividly remembered one particular incident where he and Narcissa had spent the better part of an hour trying to convince a naked Draco to get dressed after his bath. The toddler had resisted all of their attempts, throwing a spectacular tantrum when Severus’ patience had run out and he’d dared to simply spell his clothes on. Narcissa, who was ultimately defenceless against her son’s big teary grey eyes, had eventually given in, allowing Draco join them at the dinner table naked. It was almost a shame that Severus would never have children; after handling his spoiled brat of a godson he felt like he could tackle anything. 

But yes, he loved Draco dearly. Usually at least.

Severus had come to Malfoy Manor earlier to spend some time with Draco as well as Lucius and Narcissa. Despite the fact that he was quite a bit younger than both of them (and despite the complicating factor that Severus had spent the first year of the Malfoys’—admittedly arranged—marriage sleeping with Lucius), they had made him Draco’s godfather. Both of the Malfoys had proven to be good friends to him, Narcissa almost more so than Lucius, and Severus had grown to quite enjoy their company. 

When he had shown up at the Manor today, however, he had realised rather quickly that this would not be the companionable afternoon he had been expecting. Upon his arrival, Narcissa had immediately shoved her child into his arms, telling him that she was busy preparing tonight’s family gathering and that Severus was to take Draco to the park. At his utterly confused expression, she had deigned to explain to Severus that the Malfoys’ French relatives had just arrived this morning and that Draco’s cousins would be at the park with their nannies, too. Before Severus had been able to protest, she had turned on her heel and stridden off, but not without giving him a devious smirk and adding, “Make sure you tire him out properly,” before she disappeared around the corner.

So here he was, standing as far as he could from said nannies, who were chattering animately in French, but close enough to keep an eye on Draco. Severus could not shake the feeling that they were talking about him. If they were, Severus did not care much, and by this point he was merely waiting for his godson to show any sign of exhaustion so he could take him home. 

He himself, for that matter, was completely worn out. Severus had already been dragged across the playground twice to look at all the sandcastles Draco had built, had grudgingly participated in several rounds of hide-and-seek, and had been bullied into taking a turn on the slide by a five-year-old French girl which had landed him on the muddy ground. 

At this point, he was done.

“Uncle Sev!” 

He was apparently not done.

With an exasperated sigh, Severus turned to his godson who was running towards him, a broad grin on his face, his white-blond hair caked with mud. The child was clearly savouring the exceptional circumstances of having so many same-aged guests and being allowed to get as dirty as he wanted.

“Yes, Draco?” Severus asked, cringing at the small grimy hands that started tugging at his robes. 

“Come, come! Look!” the toddler exclaimed excitedly.

Unable to refrain from rolling his eyes, Severus let himself be dragged towards a group of children sitting around a multicoloured sand bucket that faintly reminded Severus of a particularly horrendous set of robes that Albus Dumbledore liked to sport. 

Five silver-blond heads turned to him and Draco as they approached. 

“Potion!” Draco announced proudly, waving his hand enthusiastically at the slimy mixture within the bucket. “Like uncle Sev!”

“Lovely,” said Severus, patting Draco on the head. Despite his grumpy mood and utter disdain for the situation he found himself in, Severus could not help but feel a tinge of pride for his godson. Was two years too young to get the child started on actual brewing?

The toddler beamed up at him, then quickly rejoined his cousins sitting on the ground as they continued to throw handfuls of ‘ingredients’ into the bucket, stirring vigorously with sticks. As could be expected, the mixture seemed to primarily consist of mud, sand, water, and potentially an unlucky snail that had not been fast enough to escape one of the Malfoy children’s eager hands. 

_It almost passes as Polyjuice Potion_ , Severus thought, staring absentmindedly at the concoction.

And then it hit him. 

_Polyjuice Potion_. There was a cauldron of Polyjuice Potion in his lab at Hogwarts, a batch that he’d been brewing for the past month, that only required him to complete the last few steps, last steps that needed to be executed _now_ or the potion would be unsalvageable. Severus shook himself out of the state of shock this realisation had brought with it and turned to sweep Draco up in his arms. 

“Sorry Draco, playtime is over,” he muttered, turning to leave without a second look back. 

Tightly holding on to the blond child and cursing under his breath, Severus made his way back to Malfoy Manor as fast as he could. 

“Narcissa!” he shouted as he pushed open the the front door. “Narcissa, you need to take Draco. I must to return to Hogwarts immediately.”

Fortunately, Narcissa had just been giving instructions to a couple of house-elves in the adjoining room. Stepping into the entrance hall, she first scanned Severus, slightly wrinkling her nose at his soiled robes, then fixed her gaze on the child in his arms. 

“Why do you have Florent with you?” she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

“Pardon?” said Severus distractedly, walking towards her to pass Draco into her arms. “Look, Narcissa, I don’t have time to explain, I need to get back to the castle right now.”

“Severus Snape,” Narcissa called, shooting him a look that made Severus stop in his tracks. “Where—is—my—son?” 

“I— What?” Only then did Severus look at the toddler in his arms. White-blond hair — that looked right enough. He let his gaze wander to the child’s face, who looked up at him with big, frightened blue eyes. _Blue_. Not grey. 

“ _Fuck_ ,” Severus breathed, and in that moment Florent began to wail loudly. Severus cringed, instinctively holding out the child to Narcissa. She glared at him, but nevertheless took Florent from Severus’ arms. The child stopped crying immediately.

“Do you really want to tell me that you brought home the wrong child from the playground?” she said in a perfectly controlled voice to not upset the toddler further, yet in a tone that made Severus instinctively take a step back.

He had always known that Narcissa was a fiercely protective mother who would step between Draco and anything that could harm him in an instant, ignoring all costs and consequences, but so far Severus had never found himself on the receiving end of her fury. He had a feeling that this was going to change right now, though. The only reason why she wasn’t at his throat yet was probably the child in her arms. 

“They were all blond, Narcissa!” Severus argued weakly, raising his hands in defense. He didn’t get a response. Instead he watched anxiously as Narcissa summoned a house-elf with a snap of her fingers, instructed her to take care of the child, and finally turned back to face Severus, hands free now for whatever murderous action she had in mind for him. The thought of making a run for the gates of the Malfoy estate and disapparating crossed Severus’ mind briefly, but he dismissed it immediately. After all, he was not a coward. Severus had faced the Dark Lord at his angriest and most lethal many times—he could surely handle a worried mother. 

Straightening up to his full height and forcing his voice to sound firm and, as he hoped, assertive, Severus said, “I apologise, but I really need to leave now. You see, there’s a potion that urgently requires my attention. I am sure Draco is fine, he’ll just return with the rest of his cousi—“ 

Severus never got to finish his sentence. Narcissa had already gabbed him by the front of his robes and dragged him out the door. 

“Narcissa, what are you—“

“Shut your mouth, Severus Snape.”

She pulled him across the forecourt to the gates, where they passed the wards and apparated directly to the park. Narcissa only let go of Severus once they neared the playground, searching for Draco among the many indistinguishable blond heads still scurrying all around them. And there he was, exactly where Severus had—admittedly unintentionally—left him, contentedly stirring his mud potion. 

“Wonderful. I’ll be going then,” Severus said quickly and spun around to leave. At that point, the Polyjuice Potion had to be unsalvageable. Still, returning to Hogwarts and having to admit to Dumbledore that he’d have to wait another month for the potion didn’t seem like the worst possible option right now.

Narcissa’s face had softened for a moment upon seeing her son safe and sound, but her expression grew dangerous again as she turned to look at Severus.

“I am not done with you.”

Severus swallowed hard. Looking at the horde of obnoxiously blond children around him, he couldn’t help but blame every single one of them for all his misery. 

_Bloody dunderheads._

**Author's Note:**

> This cute little one-shot is based on Mine To Protect by Zaharya (aka my best friend V.) in which Severus and Remus become parents pretty much over night. V. and I were joking about which of the two would be more likely to bring home the wrong kid from the playground, and we agreed that it would definitely be Severus. Somehow, this headcanon found its way into her fic (linked above): 
> 
> "Harry loved those evenings. When they all sat there—talking sometimes quietly, sometimes animatedly about Quidditch, about how Draco had always refused to get dressed after his bath as a toddler, or how Severus had brought home the wrong child from the playground instead of two-year-old Draco once because all the children there had sported the same blond hair—Harry felt as if someone had wrapped him in warm cotton, soft and soothing. They felt the most like a family in those moments and he cherished that feeling above all else."  
> – Mine to Protect by Zaharya, chapter 30 (Summer’s End)
> 
> So, here I am, elaborating on this incident a little bit more :)


End file.
